Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

A Back Sprain Is A Real Pain

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A back sprain is a ligament injury. The severity of the injury can range from mild to severe.

Sudden movements like a fall or car accident can cause injury to the ligaments because the muscles don’t have time to react. When the muscles don’t have time to react and contract enough to keep the spine within its normal range of motion, it causes the back ligaments to stretch or tear.

Intense pain can result from a back sprain. The pain may worsen over a couple of days as the ligaments become inflamed.
Minor back sprains (slight tearing or overstretching of a ligament) cause minor back pain and swelling with little or no bruising. Moderate back sprains cause moderate back pain and swelling with bruising. Severe back sprains cause severe back pain, swelling and bruising and make it almost impossible to move. Like back strain, back sprains may trigger back muscle spasms.

Healing time depends on the severity of the sprain. Most back sprains heal in six to eight weeks but it can take several months for complete recovery from a severe back sprain. Ligaments take longer to heal than muscles.

Back pain caused by muscle or ligament injury will usually resolve without any special treatment within 2 weeks to 2 months. The problem is, people usually become impatient and ultimately cause more injury by trying to exert the back muscles to early.
However, laying around is usually not the prescribed method, either. Before beginning any exercise program, especially after an injury, consult your physician.

Your doctor may prescribe pain medications that contain codeine and/or muscle relaxants to relieve severe acute back pain, especially for the first week after the injury.

Drinking plenty of water is important to flush out the acidic byproducts of muscular activity that can accumulate and irritate the muscles.

Tip: To avoid aggravating back pain, ‘roll’ out of bed: bend your legs at your knees and hips and roll on your side. Push yourself up with your arms as you hang your lower legs over the side of the bed.

Many people who experience recurring back pain have weak core muscles – the muscles that support the back. Strengthening these muscles can prevent back strain from recurring, though the time for strength exercises is after the back pain has resolved.

Good posture and proper lifting techniques can help to safeguard you from back sprain. Mentally engage your core muscles when sitting, standing, walking or exercising. This will help to strengthen your back and protect it from injury.

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Diet Tips To Keep You On Track

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Starting a diet isn’t always easy, but there are times when something in our lives propels us forward and we begin a diet program that is fast and effective. However, after a while, our motivation begins to wane causing our resolve to weaken, paving the way for us to fall temptation to some of our old ways of eating. I find when that occurs it always helps to hear some new diet tips. If not new, perhaps a different twist on an old one.

1. When dining out, eye out half of your meal and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, and that doesn’t even count the bread, appetizer, beverage, and dessert.

2. If you want dessert, share one with someone, usually just a taste will do.

3. Eat your meal on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.

4. Never eat out of a bag or jar, always put your food on a plate and eat it from there. It’s important that you see the food that you are eating in order to mentally satisfy your appetite.

5. Eat an apple and drink a glass of water before going out to eat, this will keep you from eating all the bread in the bread basket.

6. To lose an easy 5 pounds per year, switch from whole milk to 1 percent.

7. Juice has as many calories as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day. If you just love to drink juice, try pouring half water and half juice.

8. Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.

9. Keep a fitness journal. It will make a big difference in your success.

10. Remember the Chinese saying: “Eat until you are eight-tenths full.”

11. Substitute mustard for mayo.

12. Eat more soup. It’s a comfort food that fills you up. Choose non-creamy varieties that have less calories.

13. Avoid or reduce high calorie drinks like soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. If you cut out sodas, you could lose up to 25 pounds in a year, from that one change alone.

14. Take your lunch to work. You can control portions and contents.

15. Sit when you eat. This helps to satisfy your appetite much more than standing to eat. You are relaxed and better able to focus on your meal.

16. Resist the urge to add salt to your food. If you can, eat a few bites first before choosing to add salt. This gives your taste buds a chance to adjust to the different flavors in your food.

17. Drink 8 glasses of water each day. Water helps to wash the toxins from your body and helps to fill up your stomach, slowing your appetite somewhat.

18. Eat a lunch comprised mostly of veggies at least three times a week, be sure to include protein with every meal.

19. As often as possible, eat your meals from home. This way you have control over how the food is prepared and of your portion.

20. Avoid entirely or limit drinking alcohol to weekends, only.

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Twice Baked Potatoes

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These are great when served with Steak Diane, so creamy…but low in fat! For a successful women’s fitness program, a diet low in fat will bring quicker results. Twice baked potatoes have a way of sounding fattening. But they won’t be if you prepare them with this recipe. Enjoy!

2 large Idaho potatoes
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup fat-free milk
Optional low fat cheddar cheese (3 oz)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Clean and dry potatoes
2. Cook potatoes at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.
3. Allow the potatoes to cool, then cut each potato lengthwise.
4. Scoop out the inside of the potatoes and place in bowl.
5. Mash potatoes until mixture is smooth, adding all of the ingredients.
6. Spoon potato mixture into potato shells.
7. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika, if you like.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Health Benefits
Nutrient dense, meaning you get a packed house of nutrients for the amount of calories that a potato has. The great thing about a potato is that it has both soluble and insoluble fiber. It helps to lower cholesterol and aid digestion. Phytochemicals in potatoes include flavanoids and kukoamine that helps to lower blood pressure. A great source of vitamin C, potatoes are a mainstay of our diet. Remember, for a successful women’s fitness program, a diet low in fat will bring quicker results.

Another excellent potatoe recipe!  Give us and our readers your opinion by leaving a comment.

Exercise Tips To Keep You Healthy And Fit

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You’ve finally begun an exercise program and you’ve been working really hard at it. You want to make sure you are getting the best results for all of your hard work but you aren’t really sure if it will pay off or not. What you need are some exercise tips. Sometimes, just reading tips that others use will increase your focus on your fitness goals. Try them and see—they just may work for you too.

1. Be consistent. Whatever exercise program you choose, stick to it. Exercise at least six days a week. Don’t allow excuses to get in the way of your fitness regime. Don’t give up.

2. Don’t forget to stretch. Stretching is so important when it comes to exercise. By allowing your muscles time to flex and adjust, you actually protect your muscles from strain, you ligaments from sprain and your joints from injury.

3. Avoid injury. Stretching before and after exercise will help you to avoid injury. Also, be careful of adding weights to your workout and add them gradually. Too much weight will overwork your muscles and can lead to injury. Staying free from injury will give you a much better work out and ensure you will be healthy enough to continue exercising.

4. Do aerobics three times a week. Make sure the routine you choose incorporates aerobics as part of the exercise program. Walking, running, jogging, cycling, skating, swimming, dancing or sports should be a regular part of your fitness workout. These aerobic activities raise the heart rate and help your heart and lungs to become stronger.

5. Add strength-training exercises to your workout. Every exercise program should include three days of strength training or resistance training exercises. These movements help to build and strengthen your muscles. The added bonus is what these exercises do for your appearance.

6. Incorporate the Pilates’ principles of engaging your core muscles. Engaging the core means to draw your belly button into your spine, which contracts the transverse abdominals. The trans abs are the muscles that help to strengthen your back and give you a tighter, slimmer waist.
7. Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. You should engage in physical activity as described in 4 and 5 above. One day doing aerobics and the next day strength training.

These exercises performed alternately will help to tone, shape, strengthen and sculpt your beautiful body.

8. Vary your exercise routine. Mix up your work outs for best results. If you normally walk on a treadmill and use the same old program, change it up and select the trailblazer mode for a surprise treadmill hike up and down inclines, speeding up and slowing down. Skip the gym one day and go play golf or tennis. Tennis burns about 750 calories in an hour.

9. Find an exercise buddy. This can be good and bad. An exercise buddy can be a real benefit when you are just getting started and finding your way around the gym or if you need a neighbor to power walk with you. The downside is if you depend on the buddy and won’t exercise without them. You have to be in charge of your fitness program. Don’t let anything or anyone sabotage your efforts.

10. Keep a fitness journal. Big results and much success can be attributed to keeping a fitness journal. You know I have spoken about it several times and thoroughly believe in its ability to help you transform your life.

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Caesar Salad Dressing

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This is my favorite! You know, the usual Caesar salad can be extremely high in calories and fat. But you can always find a healthy version of most all of your favorite foods. That’s what a healthy lifestyle and women’s fitness is all about. Enjoying a healthier life without having to sacrifice all the foods you love.

2 Tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
Fresh garlic, 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp malt vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions
Whisk together and refrigerate or pour directly onto Caesar salad. Add lots of tomatoes to your salad and add sardines or chicken for protein.

Health Benefits
Yogurt promotes intestinal and vaginal health, improves lactose intolerance, builds stronger bones, enhances immunity, lowers blood pressure, and may even have anticancer and weight-loss effects. Greek yogurt contains less sugar than typical American brands. Garlic aids digestion and with a proper diet can help to lower cholesterol. Salads are a great way to ensure you are eating all of your recommended veggies for the day. Remember to add a protein like chicken or sardines to the salad, as every meal should include a protein.

Didn’t think you could have salad dressing?  Share your opinion of this recipe by leaving a comment.